Apparatus for automatically discharging liquids.



110,884,522. PATBNTED APR. 14, 190s.

A. PRIEST-MAN.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIGALLY D ISGHARGfINGl LIQUIIIJS.

APPLICATION FILED KAR. 31, 1906.

.Jm- A WJTNESSES.-

A v 1 NVE/WOR llomey ALBERT PRIESTMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DISCHARGING LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application led March 31, 1906. Serial No. 309,070.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT PRIESTMAN, of Germantown, city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an mprovement inApparatus for Automatically Discharging Liquids, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to automatic siphons which remain air lockeduntil the liquid to be discharged reaches a certain level, when thehydrostatic pressure acts to force the lock and start the siphon. Theoperation of such apparatus is controlled by air in the siphon pipe, andthe present invention relates particularly to improvements in the meansfor controlling the admission and discharge of such air.

It is of s ecial importance that the introduction and expulsion of theair shall be accomplished without interference by liquid flowing throughthe siphon, as such interference not only retards the rate of discharge,but is liable also to cause a partial vacuum in the siphon and preventits subsequent operation. It is also important that the siphon shouldstart when a given head of liquid is reached,no matter how gradual therise in level may be, and that the air shall be dis- -charged in suchmanner-as through an opening in the crown of the siphon pipe-that thetumbling of the liquid into the discharged leg of the siphon will tendto expel such air as may be present rather than to mtermingle with andentrain it.

While the control oi air can be accomplished most eiectively through theuse of a subsidiary automatically controlled air pi e of small diameter,it is important that tile liquid from the siphon shou d not be permit-Vted to low through such small pipe, since under those conditions thepipe would be liable to become clogged by particles of matter carried insuspension in the liquid.

It is the obj ect of my invention to control the expulsion and admissionof the air by means of a small subsidiary air pipe in such manner as toeffect the complete expulsion of the air without intermingling with thewater flowing through the siphon, to prevent the breaking of the vacuumin the siphon by the admission of air while the siphon is discharging,to insure the starting of the siphon Whenever the given level isreached, and to accomplish these results without the passage of liquidfrom the siphon through such subsidiary air pipe.

In carrying out my invention, I employ an air pi e leading preferablyfrom the crown or top o the siphon and extending up above the level atwhich the liquid is to be discharged from the tank and then extendingdown and terminating in a U shaped water seal. The length of this pipeand its seal is such that it will retain a suiiicient column to remainsealed against the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid in the tank actingthrough the air in the siphon and air pipe, until that level is reachedat which the siphon is to operate. The seal will then break and permitthe air to be discharged and the siphon to operate. The open end of theseal of this air pipe is so located that the instant any suction isproduced in the air pipe, liquid from the discharge will be drawn backinto the U seal and thus seal the pipe against the admission of air tothe siphon. The necessary admission of air to the siphon after it hasdischarged to restore it to condition to operate again is effected byother means the air discharge pipe operates at all times, through itswater seal, to revent the admission of air to the siphon.

n the drawings Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my improved apparatus;Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on a reduced scale showing theoperation before the siphon starts; and Fig. 3 is a similar view at themoment the siphon has started.

The siphon is arranged with its short leg a in the tank c, from whichthe liquid is to be discharged, and with its leg l) projecting into awell d communicating with the discharge, as by a weir e.

f is the air discharge pipe which leads from the crown g of the siphonand extends up above the high water level of tank c at which the siphonis to be operated, and then down into the well d where it terminates inan upturned U-shaped water seal h.

t is an air pipe which extends down into one of the legs of the siphon.Air is admitted through a suitable inlet j in the pipe i., which shouldbe above the high water level of the tank.

The upturned open end of the water seal h is pcreferably of enlargeddiameter as shown at l in the usual manner.

The water seal in h coniines the air in the pipe f and top of thesiphon, and while that air is retained the Siphon remains air locked Asthe level of the liquid in the tank rises the hydrostatic pressureacting through the Short leg tends to expel the air from the top of theSiphon, and this pressure also acts to expel the water from the U bendh. I/Vhen that level is reached at which this hydrostatic pressure issufficient to break the seal in the bend h, the air will be dischargedfrom the crown of the Siphon and the flow through the Siphon will beestablished. The U bend 7i now acts as a check to prevent air beingdrawn back through the pipe f into the Siphon by the partial vacuumtherein, Since the outfiowing water, which passes over the top of theseal h, will be drawn back by the suction in the pipe f, thusrestablishing the seal and effectively preventing the .entrance of airduring Siphonage.

After the Siphon has discharged, any means may be employed for breakingthe vacuum therein and recharging the upper portion with air. For thispurpose I have shown the air inlet pipe i extending downl nearly to theend of the leg a. When the liquid in the leg a falls below the end ofthis pipe air will rush in and break the vacuum in the Siphon.

The location of the outlet to the pipe f in the top or crown of theSiphon provides for a free and complete discharge of the air, and thewater tumbling through to the long leg, when the Siphon starts, will actto expel the air through this outlet and not entrain it.

The upward extension of the pipe f from the crown of Siphon above thehigh level of the liquid in the tank renders it impossible for liquid toiiow through the air pipe, and consequently a small pipe may be used,which is best Suited for the purpose, without liability of clogging byparticles of matter contained in the liquid.

As shown in the drawings the open top of the seal h preferably extendsjust above the level of the liquid in the well d when the siphon is notdischarging, see Fig. 2, but when the seal is broken and the liquid isdischarging from the well, the seal pipe will become submerged as shownin Fig. 1 so that the suction in the air pipe will draw back liquid intothe pipe and reestablish the seal as heretofore described. As the volumeof liquid thus admitted must be sufficient to enable the water seal tobe maintained even though the partial vacuum is suflicient to draw uppipe, and an air discharge pipe leading from the crown of said si honpipe and extending up above the norma level at which the liquid is to bedischarged and having a liquid Seal on its discharge end. l

2. In apparatus for automatically discharging liquids, the combinationof a Siphon pipe, and an air discharge pipe leading from the crown ofsaid si hon pipe and extending up above the norma level at which theliquid is to be discharged and having a liquid Seal on its discharge endcontrolled by the liquid discharged through Said Siphon.

3. In apparatus for automatically discharging liquids, the combinationof a si hon pipe having its discharge end submerge in a well, and an airpipe leading from the crown of said Siphon pipe and extending up abovethe normal level at which the liquid is to be discharged and terminatingin a U Shaped liquid seal in said well. y

4. In apparatus for automatically discharging liquids, the combinationof a si hon pipe having its discharge end Submergec in a well, and anair discharge pipe leading from the crown of said Siphon pipe above thelevel of the liquid on the supply side at whichv level said Siphon isset to operate, and thence down into said well and terminating in a Ushaped bend therein to form a liquid seal for said pipe controlled bythe liquid discharged through said well.

5. In apparatus for automatically discharging liquids, the combinationof a si hon pipe, and an air discharge pipe leading om the longer leg ofsaid Siphon pi e and extending up above the normal leve at which theliquid iS to be discharged and having a liquid seal on its discharge endof a length proportional to the hydrostatic head to be attained in thetank controlled by said Siphon before its operation.

6. In apparatus for automatically discharging liquids, the combinationof a Siphon pipe, and an air discharge pipe leading from the longer legof said Siphon pipe and extending u above the normal leve at which theliqui is to be discharged and having a liquid seal on its discharge endof a length proportional to the hydrostatic head to be attained in thetank Acontrolled by said Si hon before its operation, the o en end ofsai liquid Seal being submerged 1n the liquid discharging from saidSiphon.

7. In apparatus for automatically discharging liquids, the combinationof a Siphon pipe, an air discharge pipe leading from said Siphon andextending u above the normal level at which the liqui is to bedischarged and havin@ a U shaped liquid seal in its discharge en theopen Vend of said Seal being located below the surface of the liquidwhen discharging and having an enlargement or liquid receiver on itsopen end.

8. In apparatus for automatically dispendent of said air discharge pipefor adcharging li uids the combination of a Siphon mitting air to saidsi hon. 10 having its discharge leg submerged in a Well, In testimony ofW ich invention, I herean air discharge pi e leading from the crown untoset my hand.

5 of saidv siphon and) extending up above the ALBERT PRIESTMAN.

normal level at which the liquid is to be disl/Vitnesses: char ed andterminating in a U shaped liquid R. M. KELLY, seal located in said Well,and an air pipe inde- ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER.

